Egyptian authorities detained journalist Lina Attalah after a court ordered her news site to close and issued a large fine.
Authorities in Egypt recently detained Lina Attalah. She serves as the editor-in-chief of the independent news site Mada Masr. A local court found her guilty of managing an unlicensed website.
Meanwhile, the judge ordered the closure of the news outlet. The court also issued a fine of three million Egyptian pounds. This amount equals roughly $53,500. Attalah must pay this maximum penalty to secure her release.
Also, the ruling draws criticism from global human rights groups. Amnesty International calls the verdict a major blow to press freedom. They describe this as a dark day for independent journalism in the nation.
Next, the Committee to Protect Journalists notes that Egypt remains a top jailer of media workers. At least 25 journalists currently sit in prison there. The site Mada Masr has faced years of pressure from the government.
However, the outlet attempted to obtain a license since 2018. The Supreme Media Regulatory Council either rejected or ignored their applications. Prosecutors previously questioned Attalah regarding reports on prison protests.
During the recent hearing, the judge cleared the courtroom. He then appointed a lawyer for Attalah against her wishes. She objected to this move, but the judge ignored her protest.
After that, the judge dictated motions on behalf of the court-appointed lawyer. He did not allow the defense team to speak freely. The court then finalized the fine and ordered the site to close.
Finally, experts demand the immediate release of Attalah. They argue that she did her job by reporting the news. The international community continues to watch these events in Egypt closely.